Apple has continued to push the iPhone outside of the US.  Here in America we see the iPhone as a seminal device, changing many of the rules that had been in place between device makers and carriers for many years.  AT&T has been rewarded for breaking the mold with Apple.  About 40% of iPhone-based subscribers are switching to AT&T from other carriers. 

However, the stakes are high.  Everyone is now chasing applications, and the “ownership” of who presents those applications to the user is key.  In a recent article in FierceDeveloper it was revealed that talks broke down between Apple and China Mobile over who would own the interface to users for sharing applications.  Here’s an excerpt from the article:

“The third and final round of negotiations ended after Apple demanded it retain control over iPhone application sales, insisting consumers purchase apps directly from the App Store.”

China Mobile has to know how wildly successful the iPhone has been and continues to be.  Having the talks break down over this point reveals just how important providers think controlling access to applications is.